BPL Blog
Posted by JGranatino on Fri, Feb 09
This slender book begins with a timely appeal for secular ethics and peace, in which the Dalai Lama urges us to reconnect with “our innate human nature, our natural affinity for goodness, compassion, and caring for others,” realizing we are truly one family and reflecting on how we might best serve each other. The balance of the book takes the form of a conversation between Franz Alt and the Dalai Lama, in which the Dalai Lama shares advice on cultivating mindfulness and peace and educating...
Posted by JGranatino on Fri, Feb 09
Using calming works by great masters for inspiration, Evenson guides the reader in art projects using pastels, paints, and collages designed to spark creativity while promoting relaxation and mindfulness. Mary Rockwood Lane, R.N., PhD, a specialist on the uses of creativity and spirituality in healing, contributes insightful notes on the psychological and physiological benefits of these exercises, using art meditatively to promote well-being and enhance joy.
Posted by JGranatino on Wed, Feb 07
William's third book in his Medical Medium Series, Medical Medium Thyroid Healing puts a new spin on the epidemic of thyroid disease. He asserts that the reason why so many thyroid patients don't get enough relief from medication is not because of the thyroid. This, in itself, is another symptom of a far greater problem. The issue is an underlying virus that is invasive to the body. William's protocol for healing your thyroid begins with treating this underlying culprit, the Epstein-...
Posted by JGranatino on Tue, Feb 06
During WWII, Japanese-occupied Koreans were subject to severe punishment for keeping to their culture, even taking on Japanese names for fear of reprisal. Hana is sixteen years old and has become one of the honored haenyeo, a diving woman, to help provide her family with food from the sea. While diving one day, she spots a soldier headed towards her younger sister on the beach. She runs to the shore to divert him and is kidnapped, becoming one of the “comfort women” for Japanese soldiers. Years...
Posted by JGranatino on Fri, Jan 26
Anna Fox lives alone, a voluntary prisoner in her own home. Until a traumatic accident left her in pain and afraid to face the outside world, Anna led a normal life as a therapist, a loving mother and wife. Now one of the few links to the outside world is her blog, through which she counsels others. In between sessions, she watches classic black & white movies, spies on her neighbors and self-medicates. One day a new neighbor, Jane, shows up unexpectedly. She and Anna spend the day playing...
Posted by JGranatino on Tue, Jan 23
In their sixties, a group of women: Sina, Maya, Ingrid, and Lisbeth unite when they get a letter in the mail from their high school friend Kat asking them to live with her. Kat lives on a cocoa farm in Fiji with her housekeeper Ateca. All of the women are facing difficulties in their lives: Kat is recently widowed, Sina is a single mother worried about finances, Maya feels like the world is against her, Ingrid lives alone and tends to perennials for happiness, and Lisbeth is unhappy with her...
Posted by JGranatino on Thu, Jan 18
A bestseller in Scandinavia, The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83 1/4 years old has been translated for an English audience, depicting life in an elderly living complex. Hendrik, with his best friend and partner-in-crime Evert, form the Old-But-Not-Dead Club with a handful of neighbors, much to the consternation of the administrator of the facility. They organize weekly outings from wine tasting to golf with a sense of humor and purpose. Written in diary form, Hendrik shares the...
Posted by JGranatino on Tue, Jan 16
Although it is not generally known in the West, Muslims greatly venerate Jesus (Issa) and his mother Mary (Maryam), both of whom are mentioned extensively in the Qur’an. Author Akyol gives a detailed explanation the unique prophetic role of Jesus in the Qur’an and explores similarities and differences in Christian and Islamic perspectives on Jesus and his mother. He finds the beliefs of early Jewish Christians as reflected in the Book of James and in some apocryphal...
Posted by JGranatino on Tue, Jan 16
In his recent exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 76-year old British artist David Hockney included recent artworks created on his iPad using the Brushes app. Observing Hockney’s skillful use of digital media may banish your skepticism about working with non-traditional, technological tools. If you would like to learn more about digital painting, author Jardine’s book is a perfect introduction. She gives information about a variety of popular art apps, brushes, and styluses as well as...
Posted by JGranatino on Fri, Jan 05
Grace and her two children find themselves homeless and penniless after a horrific fire scorches the coast of Maine in 1947, engulfing entire towns in its wake. Unable to find her husband, who has been out helping create a firebreak, she finds her way to her late mother-in-law’s home which has been left untouched. A young stranger, a musician, has found refuge there and becomes a temporary boarder. Grace begins to discover she can have another kind of life, with rewarding work, music and...
